Garment hangers having information clips have been previously known and used. U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,940, for example, discloses a molded plastic garment hanger which includes a web-like clip-mounting member or holder which exposes a free edge onto which an information clip may be mounted. The information clip of the hanger disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,940 is intended to be easily removable and therefore the hanger offers no element or feature to prevent or discourage information clip removal. Other disclosures of information clips for garment hangers include U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,914 issued Apr. 13, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 244,197 issued May 3, 1977; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,114 issued Mar. 5, 1991.
Such easily removable information clips are quite satisfactory for appropriate applications. However, in view of the small size of such clips, which may be readily swallowed, and with increased concerns about child safety, especially when such garment hangers are taken home with the purchased garment, it becomes important to provide a garment hanger which prevents the accidental or ready removal of secured information clips. Also, where such clips may provide price information, it is desirable to inhibit or prevent even intentional removal, to minimize possible fraudulent interchange of clips.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,101 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,608 disclose garment hangers having lockable information clips. The garment hangers disclosed in these two patents include elements which discourage, but do not fully prevent, removal of a secured information clip. These hangers are discussed below with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 (labeled "Prior Art").
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a garment hanger adapted to receive an information clip and which will strongly discourage and prevent the accidental and/or intentional removal of the clip from the hanger.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such information clips which are readily fabricated by economical processes, such as plastic extraction, and such hangers which are economically fabricated by injection or compression molding.